Method of making composite corks.



H. I". BUSCH.

METHOD 0F MAKING COMPOSITE CORKS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 30. I9I5.

Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

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HM n@ h1 WITNESSES sa raars siero. 'y

HERMAN F. BUSCH, 0F MILLVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 ARMSTRONG CORK COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD 0F MAKING COMPOSITE CORKS.

'Lacasse Specification of Letters Patent.v

Patented Dec. 19, 19116.

Application Vled December 30, 1915. Serial No. 69,365.

T0 all whom z't may concern:

A Be it known that I, HERMAN-F. BUSCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Millvale, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Method of Making Composite Corks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a view partly in front elevation, and partly in vertical section, of one form of apparatus which may be used in the practice of my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation showing one of the completed corksclamped in its mold, and Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are sectional views showing different forms ofthe completed corks.

MyA invention has relation to composite corks having a head portion of wood, and a -body portion of cork material7 and to a novel method of making the same.

Heretofore, in so far as I am aware, inthe manufacture of composite corks of this character, the body member has been cut from a piece of natural cork. This operation requires considerable work and results in a large percentage of waste cork, which increases the cost of the completed articles.

One ob] ect of my invention is to provide a cork of this vcharacter in which the body,

l instead of being of natural cork, is composed of compressed artificial cork, consisting of cork granules and a suitable binder.

A further object of my invention is to provide a simple method of making corks of the above described character whereby they can be manufactured rapidly and cheaply, the wooden head members of the corks acting as a part of the mold for the formation of the artificial cork body/portion.

In carrying out my invention, I provide theV previously formed wooden top members 2, which may be of the usual character. In-

stead, however, of forming a long stud portion 3, as shown in Fig. 4, and which is usually provided where natural cork is'employed, I may considerably shorten this stud, as indicated at 4 in Fig. 1; or I may omit it entirely, as shown in Fig. 3'; or I may shorten it and make it of somewhat dovetailVL form as shown at 5in Fig. 6; or I may provide it with corrugations or notches of any suitable character, as indicated at 6 in Fig. 5, in order to more eiiectively retain the cork body thereon. This wooden top member I use as one element of a forming mold. The other coperating element of the mold may be a member such as shown at 7 in Fig. 1, which is removably placed upon a fixed support 8'` adapted to fit loosely within thel lower end portion of a vertically movable cylinder 9. This cylinder 9 at its upper end is arranged to seat the wooden top 2 in the manner shown, after the cylinder has been filled with the cork mixture. This mixture may be of any suitable character, such, for instance, as that employed in the manufacture of the sealing disks of artificial cork which are now largely used in the well known crown Stoppers. During the filling operation the cylinder 9 may be supported at its lower end upon the sectional -this plunger descends it forces the wood top 2, together with the cylinder 9 downwardly, compressing the cork mixture between the wood top 2 and the mold member 7, the cams 16 operating to separate the supporting ring 7 and permit the downward movement of said cylinder. The mixture is thus compressed within the mold member 7 and against and upon the wood top 2, until the article is formed as shown in Fig. 2. A suitable clamp 19 is then applied to hold the parts together, the lower support 8 and the plunger 17 being cut away, as indicated at 20, to permit the application of the arms of this clamp. The articles while clamped in this position are then taken to a suitable baking oven and baked while confined b y the clamps. When the baking operation 1s completed the clamps are removed, together with the mold members 7, thusfleaving the finished articles ready for use.

In accordance` with my invention, I am able to produce composite corks of this character which are, in fact, superior to those employing the natural cork and which can be manufactured and sold at a very much lower cost. "-OWing to the pressure which is employed, cork bodies are made which are more dense than natural cork; and which f are free from faults which occur in natural cork. At the same time by the use of snitable artificial cork mixtures such kas are now Well knoWn in the arts, a corkfbody is produced Which is permanently elastic and in Dbe employed. My invention, however, contemplates the use of the top Wood member of the corks as a part of the forming mold, the cork body portion being simultaneously formed upon and united to ythe top member. Instead of a Wooden top member, I may, of course, employ any otherl suitable material.

1. The herein described method of makingcomposite corks, Which consists in compressing a cork mixture between tWo mold members, one of said mold'members being a part Vof 4the finished cork, substantially as described.

2. The'method of making composite corks, which consists in placing a charge of cork mixture in a container having a mold member at one end, placing the. pre-formed top member of 'a finished cork at the opposite side of the charge,'and then moving the top member and the mold member relatively to^` each .other to compress the charge mixture and thereby form the body portion of the composite cork directly upon the top member, substantially as described. J

3. The method of making composite corks,

which consists oin rplacing a charge ofy cork mixture 1n a container having a mold member at one end, placing the pre-formed top member of a finished cork at the opposite side of the charge, then moving the top member and the mold member relatively to each other to compress the charge mixture and thereby form the body portion o'f the composite corkdirectly upon'the top memmy hand.

ber, and finally baking the finished article, 50,

substantially as described.

4. The method of making composite corks, which consists infplacing a charge of cork mixture in a container having a mold mem. ber at one end, placing the pre-formed top member of a `finished cork at the opposite side of the charge, then moving' the top member and the moldmember relatively to each \other to compress the charge mixture and thereby form the body portion of the composite cork directly. upon the top member, and finally baking the finished article While still confined by said mold member, substantially as described.

5. The herein describedmethod of forming composite corks, which consists in providing a top member, and compressing and shaping a mixture of 'plasticl material against and upon saidtop member, substantially as described.

6. Theherein described method of forming composite corks, Which consists in' providing a top member, compressing and shaping a mixture of cork material against and upon said top member, and then baking the article With the formed body confined to shape, substantially as described.

7. The. herein described method of`forming composite corks, which consists in utilizing the top member of the finished cork as an element of a forming and shaping mold, and then compressing and shaping a mixture of` plastic material uponl and against said top member, substantially as described.

8. The herein described'method of forming composite co\rks, which consists in utilizing the top member of the finished cork as an element of a forming and shapingmold, then 4compressing and shaping a mixture of plastic material upon and against said top member, and then baking the article, sub.- stantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto-set Witnesses: l GEO. B. BLEMING, GEO. I-I. PARMELEE. 

